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Dorothea Mackellar's 'My country' as a song

Do you know a poem with the line 'I love a sunburnt country'? The poem is 'My country' by Dorothea Mackellar. Find out what inspired Mackellar to write this famous poem and how she felt about teenager Christine Roberts basing a song on it. This is a black-and-white clip from a 1967 current affairs program This Day Tonight.

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Heywire: Spanning the generations in an unlikely friendship

Do you think strangers with 60 years of age between them can become friends? When eighteen, George Baker found out that they can when he befriended Geoff, a man in his eighties. Could you write or record a story about yourself and/or your community? The ABC's Heywire competition calls for stories from 16-22-year-olds in ...

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Purdiwan: Pretty One

The Garrwa people live inland from the Gulf of Carpentaria, on either side of the border between the Northern Territory and Queensland. In this brief but beautiful animation, a Garrwa woman herds her pretty goats eastward.

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Books shaping identity

Do you identify with a book's protagonists when you read? Shamini Flint says she started writing her Sasha series of books about a girl growing up in Asia because she couldn't find books like these for her daughter. She thought it was important for her to be exposed to characters who were like her - someone who looked like ...

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What's the moral of the story?

Have you heard of the expression, 'the moral of the story'? What does the interviewer think the moral of this story is? How does this compare to what the author and illustrator of the story, Leigh Hobbs, says the moral is?

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First Tuesday Book Club: The voice of Albert Facey

Albert Facey's 'A Fortunate Life' is one of Australia's best-loved autobiographies. Could it be Facey's 'voice' in his writing that touches the hearts of so many readers? Explore this clip to learn more about how the written word can capture the personality of a writer.

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Heywire: Tension in the air

In this Heywire audio story, explore how Marguerite Donaldson builds tension as she recounts a nerve-wracking incident that happened while she was flying one day. Find out what this incident has revealed to her and how she shares her thoughts. Could you write or record a similar story about yourself and/or your community? ...

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Heywire: Life-changing moments: from basketball to guitar

Sometimes devastating events have a silver lining. Brendon Reynolds's life changed completely after a major injury during a basketball game. Hear how as you listen to his Heywire audio story.<br /><br />Could you write or record a story about yourself and/or your community? The ABC's Heywire competition calls for stories ...

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Hannie Rayson on the Australian voice in theatre

How important do you think it is to hear Australian stories told on stage? Listen as Hannie Rayson explains her early beliefs about where great drama comes from. After watching this clip, try writing a dramatic scene that takes place at a family barbeque.

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Digging into the Stanza Stones

Imagine having your poetry carved in stone. What would you write? British artist Pip Hall carved six poems by Simon Armitage in rocks found in 'quiet, poetic corners of the landscape' between the towns of Marsden and Ilkley in northern England. Listen as Mr Armitage describes this unique project, known as Stanza Stones.

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Heywire: Leaving home, leaving yourself

Leaving the only home you've ever known can be tough. For Janet Brown, it led to a serious case of depression. Although she was able to work through this, for a time Janet felt that she had lost everything, including herself. In her Heywire story Janet constructs a powerful image of her condition.<br /><br />To talk with ...

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Heywire: Autobiography of a flood survivor

Imagine if the town or suburb you live in came under threat due to a natural disaster. How would you react? Shelby Garlick from Kerang, Victoria, was a finalist of the 2012 Heywire storytelling competition for young people. Listen to her inspiring story and explore the lessons she learnt as a result of working with her ...

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Wuthering Heights: Violence and cruelty

Why might Emily Bronte have included numerous instances of cruelty in Wuthering Heights? Listen as John Bowen, Professor of Nineteeth-century Literature, considers the reasons behind the brutality in the novel. This clip is one in a series of four from the British Library.

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First Tuesday Book Club: The Catcher in the Rye

Have you ever addressed big questions in your life using the character in a novel as your guide? Brendan Cowell does. Find out how as he discusses JD Salinger's 'The Catcher in the Rye' with the First Tuesday Book Club.

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Heywire: Crocodiles, jellyfish and self-expression

Have you ever sat through a classmate's oral presentation and nearly fallen asleep in the middle of it? Often this is because the speaker isn't using their voice in a way that gets your attention and keeps you interested. In this Heywire audio story, explore how Alpha Capaque, a young woman from the Northern Territory, ...

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Radio National: What makes a great speech?

Did you know that making a speech in public is rated as one of most people's greatest fears? There is however an art to making a great speech. Listen as Don Watson speech-writer for the former Prime minister Paul Keating, Michael Gurr playwright and speech-writer, and Ted Widmer foreign policy speech writer for former US ...

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Creating characters with Sally Rippin

Listen as Sally Rippin talks about how her characters come to life. What does she say about the link between the writer and the characters they create? Why does she say that imagination is like a muscle?

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First Tuesday Book Club: The story behind 'Jasper Jones'

'Jasper Jones' is a novel that recently featured on a list of '10 Aussie books to read before you die'. Does it belong on the list? Many texts make connections to other texts but is this novel too close a retelling of the classic American novel 'To Kill a Mockingbird'? Explore the concept of 'intertextuality' in this clip.

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First Tuesday Book Club: Navigating 'Cloud Atlas'

Some authors like to take readers on a journey, none more so than David Mitchell, the author of 'Cloud Atlas'. His novel is a complex tale that attempts to weave together six different narratives over a period of hundreds of years. Join in this discussion and find out if he succeeds. This clip is the second in a series of two.

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Changing interpretations of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'

Have you ever heard anyone say the famous line 'To be or not to be, that is the question'? They are Hamlet's opening lines from Act 3 of William Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. But what does Hamlet mean when he says this? This interview looks at changing interpretations of Shakespeare's 'Hamlet' through the ages.